winter wonderland

[on a lighter note...]

with all the rainy weather we've been having in northern california in the last few days, i thought i'd do a fashion post on my favorite winter looks this season.  i know i'm a little late, since most stores and magazines are already preparing for the upcoming spring, but it's cold and gray outside (YAY!) and i'm going to milk it for all it's worth!

true to my usual style, there isn't a whole lot of pattern in this look, but there is a whole lot of blues and grays.  my favorite thing about this would have to be the emu button boots, which can run you anywhere from $189 at Macy's to $40 on Ebay.  i can't afford them yet, and i'd feel weird buying them when, again, spring is just around the corner, but a friend of mine who came over last weekend was wearing them and let's just say it was hard not to stuff them into my closet and tell her that my dog ate them.  i somehow found the colossal restraint.  i also really love these ruth cross mittens which, some of you may have noticed, are the now-famous twilight mittens (you can also get look-alikes on etsy).  they just look so warm and cozy!  (other items: my favorite ever american eagle straight leg jeans which i sadly cannot find anymore, delia's peacoat, pinstripe tunic (got a great one recently at marshall's too!), plaid tunic on model, knit slouchy hat (yes, i still love those slouchy hats), zodiac necklace (or any long necklace with a nice pendant, really), and scarf). 

my second look is a bit more casual, something i'd wear on a weekend, or out to get something to eat or drink at night with N. and some friends (versus the above look, which i could wear to work -- nonprofits are pretty casual too).  i couldn't decide between three jackets and three shirts, so i put them all in.  they can be mixed and matched, obviously.

my favorites have to be either the purple tee or team edward tee (yes, i do honestly want one and would totally wear it out in public because i am just that cool), both from urban outfitters, and the vans slip-ons, which are second in comfort only to my old, faithful chucks.  i've been in a very "basic-tshirt-and-jeans-with-keds" kind of mood this last year, and this look totally reflects that.  it says COMFORT to me.   and for the record?  i hate jackets.  i cannot for the life of me find a jacket that i love and it drives me insane.  is it so much to ask for something warm and fashionable which will go with everything in my closet?!  (irrational, much?)  so i put these jackets into my look halfheartedly, not truly trusting that they would be as wonderful feeling once on as the other pieces.  but i'm willing to give it a shot.  i will find the perfect jacket one day.  i'm determined.  (other items: once again, my favorite ever american eagle straight leg jeans (would wear it with anything, really), red long-sleeved thermal (you can get some long-sleeved v-neck henley's from target right now for $12, i think), striped knit gloves, black bomber jacket, brown jacket, grey jacket, and scarf).

so as you can see, i've definitely been going through shopping withdrawls.  i'm in the process of making myself a budget and, in the interest of not destroying it before it even begins, my shopping outings have been cut to the bare minimum.  and before i realize how very pathetic it is for me to mourn my inability to partake in our overloaded consumer society, i'm going to stop.

more outfits coming in the spring!

whoring it up for halloween

can we just take a minute and discuss the fact that it is nearly impossible for a grown woman to get a decent halloween costume without hooching herself out? am i the only one who's noticed this? am i the only one who's realized that, if you're between the sizes of teen and man, you will probably wind up at your annual halloween party decked out in a bikini top, micro-mini and stilettos?

unless of course you want to show up as a lime wedge. or a bowling pin.

needless to say i'm getting a little frustrated with the whole thing. i don't want to be adventure annie, or a dirty martini, or a mile high flight captain. and i definitely don't want to be some idiot's idea of a seductive squaw indian princess either (and not just because it's not pc). i just want to find a costume that will make me look cute without making me look like a hooker. is that to much to ask?

and, to be fair, let me just say that i don't even dislike all sexy costumes. in fact, i really wish i could wear some of them. these, for example:

sexy finding nemo, sexy jem (which is AMAZING), sexy sherlock and sexy willy wonka. love 'em. would never wear 'em, but love 'em just the same. and i know halloween is supposed to (in our commercialized world) be this one night where you can do anything and everything and sort of not be held accountable for it (as far as your wardrobe goes), but come on people! no matter how awesome your precision sculpted bod may be (and mine is definitely not), there are just some things that modesty won't allow. or so i say right now.

BUT, then there are those costumes that, no matter if i were victoria's secrets' number one angel, i'd never wear short of being completely trashed and in a room full of blind people. case in point? princess leia in the slave outfit. also known as "every man's fantasy":

and it's a pity because N. is the biggest star wars nerd i know.

so it's not that i hate sexy costumes. obviously, i don't. obviously, it would be nice if i could wear them, because apparently, sexy costumes are the only ones a grown woman is going to find these days.

hence my frustration.

with all that said, i've been on a mission to find a good, cute, sexy-but-not-whorish costume. some ideas i've got for what i want to be include a ladybug, a bee or a flower since N. is once again going to don his fat, furry bee costume which made him such a hit last year, and has requested that i at least try to find something that matches. i'm not committed to any of them just yet, and have yet to even find a flower costume. but here's what i've found so far:

the ladybug is obviously a teen costume which i opted for instead of the ultra revealing adult ladybug costumes. the bumble bee is also super cute. neither of them are overly skanky, and i'd be comfortable hanging out in them for a night, i think.

and then there's wanda the wizard. i've wanted this harry potter knock off costume since last year so it's a pretty big contender, particularly if some friends of mine end up having the hogwarts halloween party they've been talking about. now, i know it looks like it could be somewhat of a scandalous pick, but like the ladybug and the bumble bee costumes, i'd definitely wear leggings under this one.

then, of course, there's the obligatory female death eater costume. i can't explain it, but i just couldn't get past the idea of being bellatrix lestrange for a night! again, this is a big possibility if the hogwarts party happens, maybe not so much if it doesn't.

the next two costumes are just here to give me a chance to wear a pretty dress and, quite possibly, my first ever wig. after all, you can't be a greek goddess or cleopatra without a wig, can you?

and finally, there is spongebob! i love it. there's nothing else to say, i love absolutely everything about this costume!

unfortunately, however, i also have to face the very real fact that i just don't have a lot of money right now, and costumes (for some God awful reason) are hideously expensive! SO, i have a back up plan! (really, did you think i wouldn't?). i don't have a picture or anything because it's sort of homemade, but it's pretty simple. i'm going to take one of my graduation gowns (probably the law school one since it has the cool velvet on the sleeves), raise the hemline a little, get myself a yellow graduation sash, put one of my tassles on the cap i saved, and voila! i'm a graduate! it isn't the most creative costume ever, but i still think it's pretty clever! and it's cheap!

finally, though i don't think he'll actually be partaking in the halloween festivities, and i definitely know he wouldn't appreciate it if he were, i couldn't help but look for a costume for our pooch. lo and behold, some of the world's cutest costumes ever:

notice the unhappy looks on their faces. but still, why would you not dress your dog up as a giraffe?!

so, do you have any idea what you're going to be for halloween? will it be store-bought or handmade? and would you mind if i copied you? :)

fall for me

it's october, and this means that it has officially become my favorite season of the year! i know, i know, strange because i'm from the land of eternal sunshine and i'm currently living in california, but whatever. i love the fall and everything about it!

so in honor of this most festive feeling i've got going on, i thought i'd try my hand at a polyvore collage. i see a lot of the writers on my favorite blogs using polyvore for fashion and interior design, and i thought i'd just cheat a little and use it for my own devious ends. kidding, kidding. nothing devious about it, just wanted to share with you why fall is as great as it is!

Fall for Me by kaheainthecity

clockwise from top-left:

1. the leaves are changing color, which has to be one of nature's most beautiful things. also, fall colors just happen to be my favorites! burgundy's and golds and rusts and forest greens and browns...love 'em!
2. it's time for cold weather clothes! great peacoats and cute hats are back and i get to cozy up inside them. this coat can be found at alloy.com.
3. i'm obsessed with this sweater and have been for more than a year. it's almost cheap enough, but not quite. i can't get over those buckles... this came from victoria's secret.
4. we all know i can't resist a good cardigan, right? and the stripes? and the ruffles? looks so...collegiate! lovely cardi is from alloy.com.
5. so i know i'm about six years late, but i finally got suckered into adoring uggs. i'm not really liking the purple, but the rest would look great with a pair of skinnies. luckily, my older sis had a pair of knock-offs that she never wears (she lives in hawaii) so she sent them to me! these classically short uggs can also be found at victoria's secret.
6. how soft does this cashmere scarf look? brown. cashmere. scarf. need i say more? get it at abercrombie.
   
7. if you don't think of pies when you think of the fall, i don't know what happened to destroy you in your childhood. and i'm not even much of a baker.
8. halloween! thanksgiving and halloween are my two favorite holidays, and these little wicked cupcakes are about as cute as they come. you can learn to make them (and a whole lot of other holiday goodies) at foodnetwork.com.
9. the weather gets cold and the food gets hot. cooking and eating soups and stews are one of the best parts of fall. especially when you've got some friends over, some games and/or movies to watch, some PIES for dessert!, and it's windy and rainy outside. my favorite beef stew recipe can be found here. i suggest you make it on the first cold day of your year (though watch out, it needs to marinate overnight!). it's awesome. i promise.
10. these next two pictures are not up here because i love jennifer aniston or because i've even seen her movie, "love happens." (though i may because it's set in SEATTLE!). i just adore these beanies. she has one in almost every color according to the previews. and they're cashmere (or so i've discovered through research). they're also hideously expensive, but are apparently The item to have this season.
11. finally, last but definitely not least is the return of starbuck's wonderful pumpkin spice latte's! you know how certain things, everyday ordinary things, can be triggers for very specific memories? well, pumpkin spice latte's trigger the memory of me and my friends walking from our apartment down to starbucks during college to get these drinks, totally decked out in our coats, boots, scarves and gloves, with cold air on our faces and fog moving in and out of bare tree branches. these drinks will always make me think of college, of seattle, and of the fall.

HAPPY OCTOBER, EVERYONE!

apparently, i'm vintage

while online window-shopping this morning (because, yes, online window-shopping is apparently part of my morning routine...right after having a diet coke and sending out a bazillion job applications), i came across something interesting.

the job listing was for a copywriter for an online vintage clothing magazine entitled "shopnastygal.com". don't ask why, but curiosity got the best of me -- i mean, what kind of vintage clothing was this exactly? and why, if it's just your run-of-the-mill sort, would you name it that?! so i clicked. and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't some sort of soft porn site, but was in fact just sort of urban outfitter-ish. (i still haven't figured out why the powers that be named the store shopnastygal. bad pr, i guess?).

but while browsing, something else occurred to me.

when did the 90's become vintage?

were you as big a fan of "my so-called life" [aka, jordan catalano drool-a-thon] as i was? well, shopnastygal seems to specialize in clothing from that era. which, to me, is not vintage.

when i think of vintage, i tend to think of maybe the 50's through the 80's, if even that. for the most part, the 80's and definitely the 90's are just...old clothes.

a denim jacket with studs? flannel (which, for the record, i love)? those flow-y sun dresses that came crinkled? crushed velvet? retro. thifted. not vintage.

and you should not be charging more than $20 for said clothing. unless they're brand new from UO of course.

anyway, i had to check out my theory. and the all-knowing Wiki has spoken:

"Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing and clothing from the 1920s to 1980 is considered vintage. Retro, short for retrospective, usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era. Clothing produced more recently is usually called modern or contemporary fashion. Opinions vary on these definitions."

a small bone to pick, i know. but what can i say? it made me feel old.

fashion find

My 100th Post!

i know this makes 2 posts in one day, but i wanted to share! while i was blatantly and purposefully ignoring the fact that i should have been reading the tons of research i've gathered in support of my final paper in law school, i stumbled upon a really cute blog, ironically entitled: academichic

some of you who are into fashion like i am, and who are still wading your way through academia like i am, may just fall in love. you're welcome.

and in regards to my 100th post, i think i'll celebrate with a "100 favorite things" list in my next post!

(p.s. i made the 4 posts i'd promised i'd do this week in apology for being so absent lately! who knew i had so much to say?!)

the most sought-after guy in hollywood

here's my blow-by-blow of the oscar's for all those who enjoyed my grammy's commentary!

the red carpet in all its glory:

• kate winslet is beautiful, so vintage, and that dress is killing me (why is she always so perfect?!). i love that she's the youngest to be nominated for so many awards.
• SJP looks very carrie bradshaw (which i now know after having my first SATC experience last night with the ladies). and matthew broderick looks very nervous.
• tim gunn is about to drool all over mr. valentino.
• comparing the oscars to the prom to make it relevant to vanessa hudgens and zack efron. hilarity.
• okay, if people knock miley cyrus and her dress this time, i'm gonna kill someone. she looks awesome. it's young, fresh, appropriate, elegant, and people just need to get over themselves.
• penelope is wearing serious vintage. like, a 60 year old dress vintage. proof that beauty is timeless, and i need to start shopping in thrift stores.
• jeez, this award show is so...pompous compared to others.
• so the red carpet was officially a disappointment. way too many movie stars sneaking in the back entrance so as not to show off their dresses before the main event. haters.
  

the main event:

• oh, hugh. i love your accent. it's okay if you were an australian, playing an australian, in a movie called australia, hosting.
• it takes some balls to perform show-tune style live. cheesy, but apt and quite funny, mr. jackson. and who knew anne hathaway could sing?!
• meryl streep is a badass. plain and simple. bad. ass.
• best supporting actress: penelope cruz. it was the dress. lol.
  
• the milk acceptance speech will break your heart.
• the uniform of the oscars this year seems to be the white, strapless, sparkly dress.
• oscars are dragging.
• costume designer for the duchess seemed like he just inhaled a very large xanax before his acceptance speech.
• i love when winners say "'so and so' really should be up here with me..." and then just go on with their speech. because the rest of that sentence actually says: "...but i didn't want to share the spotlight so i didn't ask them to come up."
  
• ROBERT PATTINSON IS AT THE OSCARS! and looking HOT introducing the romance movies of 2008 (including twilight! holla!). i wasn't feeling the short hair originally. it's growing on me (no pun intended). that was by far the [most unexpected] highlight of the oscars for me. is that sad?
• natalie portman is rocking her pink dress. and ben stiller is out of control. i don't get it, could someone explain?
  
• that's 2 for slumdog millionaire.
• james franco. drool. massive, massive drool. (does anyone else think he's a dead ringer for jeff buckley?)
• there goes beyonce, singing "at last" again. etta james needs to just punch her in the face and be done with it.
• best supporting actor: health ledger. can i just start crying now? okay, crying.
• the oscars needs some performances to break up the monotony. just saying'.
• it's will smith. where has will smith been? besides making bad movies like "hancock"?
• that's 3 for slumdog.
• lol. that's 4 for slumdog millionaire!
• omg. that's 5 for slumdog.
• well, i asked for performances. i got performances.
• i'm sorry, i may be the only one, but i can't stand john legend.
• 6 for slumdog millionaire. should i just stop keeping track and assume they'll win every single one?
• i have a huge crush on liam neeson. and the slumdog actress's dress is beyond words.
• slumdog took best director. that's 7. so far. are we surprised? no.
• did you know nicole kidman was born in hawaii? i loooove her. one of the most statuesque women.
  
• the women presenting best actress blow my mind.
  
• anne hathaway was nominated for a best actress oscar?! nice. she's made absolutely all of the right moves with her career so far.
  
• halle berry is untouchable. but can i please have her boyfriend/baby daddy? lol.
  
• best actress: kate winslet. so great. i should watch "the reader". and i love that she asked her dad to whistle so she could find him in the audience.
• best actor: sean penn for milk. "yes, totally deserved it!" is the consensus in the room i'm in. best acceptance speech EVER.
  
• update: rpatz is sitting behind mickey rourke. looking quite edward-ish if i do say so myself. smile for once, would ya?!
• i'm going to guess best movie now before they present it: slumdog.
• was i right? yep! slumdog millionaire takes best movie!

overall, a pretty good show. there are definitely some slow moments, but it didn't seem as long as the grammy's. sorry, too lazy to find the links! just google it!

thoughts regarding the glitz and glam

so this post is gonna be a little different. i'm watching both the E! pre-show and the grammy's, and i thought i'd just post my thoughts as they come during the show. it'll be like you're all watching the grammy's with me!

*note: the links may not go to the right pictures after a while b/c they've been updating the photos and changing everything around online. sorry!*

• is it just me, or is katy perry super cute? the bubble-gum pink dress and lipstick is working for her. as is the glam 'do. and does anyone else think she looks a lot like hilarie burton?
• "you don't take sand to the beach" - paris hilton, whose dress is as short as her hair.
• why was ryan seacrest being such a douche to taylor swift?!
  
• uh-oh. did chris brown go ike turner on rihanna?
• HOLY SHIT U2 OPENED! love love love love love. favorite. band. EVER. also, i love that bono feels he can act a fool just because he's bono. at least now we know that bono can't really dance.
• i find it odd that no one really "hosts" the grammy's anymore. it's just really a bunch of different presenters. saves us the painfully unfunny jokes, i guess.
  
• whitney's out of rehab?! too bad she can't sing anymore. what an american tragedy. and did she get plastic surgery?! wait, is she HIGH?!
• al green, justin timberlake, keith urban, and boys to men as back-up. nice save, grammy's.
• now, i love carrie underwood. but she needs a new album like ryan seacrest needs a punch in the face. but i gotta love her glitter mic's.
  
• that's 1 for coldplay.
  
• i muted kid rock. enough said.
• alright, so am i the only one on earth who actually listens when miley cyrus sings? because she can't sing. she's cute, but homegirl cannot sing! and next to taylor swift, who sounds so delicate? omg. i may have to mute this too.
• jennifer hudson is like a throwback to the singers of yesteryear. when talent mattered more than the size of your waist. she's so classy. and it's so nice to hear music being celebrated again.
• stevie wonder and the jonas brothers?! i'm gonna be honest right now and say that i don't understand the whole jonas brothers thing. talk about a wannabe hipster version of a the boy band phenom. but i guess no one understood the nsync thing years ago either, huh? what goes around... but man, stevie...what were you thinking? superstitious would have been great all by yourself.
• BLINK 182 REUNION ANYONE!? and how much do i love that mark hoppus just clowned the jonas brothers?
• that's 2 for coldplay.
• katy perry looked like a fruit basket during her performance. lol. but i think that was the idea. although she's not the best performer all in all. a bit disappointing.
• over it, kanye. but damn, your songs are catchy as hell. your hair, on the other hand? killing me. all that jheri curl/fauxhawk needs in its beginning stages is some soul glo.
  
• although i haven't fully boarded the adele train, i'm glad she won. she seems like a cool chick.
• so morgan freeman and kenny chesney are bff's now? that's not weird.
  
• robert plant (makes me want to write robert pattinson, but what doesn't? lol.) and allison krauss are owning the grammy's right now.
  
• the fact that M.I.A. is at the grammy's, and is performing, on her due date is out of control. who does that? performance kinda killed it though, i'm not going to lie.
  
• kate beckinsale is officially about an inch thick around the waist. is it okay to hate her?
  
• for the life of me, i can't figure out why i don't care for john mayer's music very much. but he won best male pop vocal, so maybe i should jump on the bandwagon.
• adele is performing barefoot, and she didn't do a costume change. that alone is commendable.
• gotta give it up to the grammy's for all the creative/strange collaborations this year. timberlake, al green and company? mcartney and grohl? sugarland and adele? radiohead and the usc trojan marching band? lil wayne and robin thicke (the wannabe timberlake)?
  
• so t.i. is my secret hip-hop crush (minus the arms dealing, obviously). just thought i'd put that out there. really loved his performance with justin timberlake. and how he is desperately trying to mitigate his sentence with his good-message songs and reality community service tv show.
• more obama love/expectations. did you not expect it?
  
• "sweet caroline...ba, ba, bahhhh! good times never seem so good...so good! so good...so good!" - neil diamond. why is this the perfect i'm-drunk-in-a-bar-in-a-foreign-country-with-a-bunch-of-my-drunk-friends song?
  
• just fyi: i feel like this is the never ending grammy awards. every time i think it's over, some new performer comes on. i'm sleepy. end already!
• new orleans still got it!
• someone get t-pain and will.i.am. a mirror, stat.
• zooey deschanel is adorable, but what is she doing at the grammy's?
• i usually love allison krauss, but this plant/krauss song is putting me to sleep right now.
• album of the year: like i said, plant and krauss killed the grammy's this year.
  

overall, a good show. ok, seriously, good night everyone!

i've got nothing to wear!

(side note: originally, i was going to entitle this post, "closet whore" but thought better of it after a brief deliberation.)

this is going to be a different sort of post than usual. ever since i started on this whole "saving money" thing, i haven't been shopping once. not once. and unfortunately, not shopping doesn't getting rid of the wanting to shop.

but it has given me time to think. about my style in particular. are you one of those people who are comfortable with their style? do you dress exactly the way you would dress if you had unlimited funds and confidence? what i've noticed about my own dressing habits is that i tend to dress rather simply. that's not to say that i don't prefer simple things, because i do. but after some thought, i realized that i actually have a pretty eclectic taste in fashion. it's just i don't have the confidence to wear half of what i like, and i can't afford the other half.

here's some of what i like:

there are some times when i love katy perry's style. her make-up to be specific. although i'm kinda liking the jacket, shorts, and knee-highs at the end of the vid...

i love literally everything from anthropologie. it's one of those things where everything i own would come from that store alone...if it weren't so damn expensive. but the shoes? the jackets? the tops? the jeans? the bedding, for crying out loud? awesome.

so i'm currently in a very turbulent love affair with urban outfitters. i love love love their cardigans and skinny jeans (because like many girls, i'm also still in search of the perfect skinny jean) and bags, etc. these are not necessarily from uo, but they might as well be.




alright, this is weird, but for some random reason, i completely adored alexis bledel's wardrobe from sisterhood of the traveling pants 2. it was just really clean and elegant and simple. lots of whites and blues, and a few bright colors thrown in. it was also a lot of dresses, which i don't usually do. i really should wear more dresses... maybe that'll be my spring resolution?



here's some other randomness. i'm into lbd's (though i don't have one yet), vests, long necklaces, plaid, boots, knit hats (i luuurve knit hats), and i recently discovered that i'm not too old for everything in american eagle! yay!

and finally, here are some fashion blogs that friends have suggested and that i love to read when i'm in a clothing craving kind of mood:

The Ice Coffee Book Club (used to be My Vogue Handbook)
Uber Chic (check out the recent Uber Chick Awards)
Coco's Tea Party
Philosophy of a Fashionista (used to be Oh That's Chic)
What I Wore
Karla's Closet (she just got these AWESOME new tattoos...)
...love Meagan
The Personal Stylist
Mama was a Rolling Stone

random additions

1. so i just did about three loads of laundry. i noticed my laundry needed to be done when, a few days ago, i was forced to wear a shirt i haven't worn in 2 years. this happens every semester during finals. anyway, i now have clean clothes (woo-hoo!), and as i'm putting those clothes away in my closet, i'm struck by this alarming realization: nearly ALL of my clothes are solid colored. i just took another look, and i think i can see FOUR shirts with print on them. FOUR! does this make be boring, or consistent? does it mean i'm afraid to try new things, or that i'm a woman who knows my own mind? the things you think about on laundry day...
2. i'd forgotten how much i love missy higgins. here are some of my favorite missy higgins songs. the first one, "sugarcane," is a particular favorite.

cinderella

i don't know why, but i love this dress like it was my first born. it's in the window of iniam on college ave in rockridge, and i pass it every day on the bus up to cal.

i need this dress. i lust after this dress.

wouldn't it be the perfect new years eve dress???


oh, wow. it comes in white too.


now why does it have to cost $368?! i need to learn to sew so i can create my own knock-offs...

v.i.n.t.a.g.e.

disclaimer: this is gonna be short, and may be just a little shallow. kinda like me! ha! (i'm joking)

so i got a pedicure this passed week for the first time since thailand. it's a nondescript place on broadway owned by this middle-aged asian woman who i just love to pieces. she smells like my grandmother. i don't know if it's her lotion or her lipstick or something, but it's uncanny.

anyway, my pedicure. i was choosing my color and kept hearing marj, linea and kendra (of the famous new zealand brown-crowd) saying that i need to be more adventurous. apparently, i never stray too far from beige or light pink.

so this time i chose red. "golden ruby" to be exact.

and can i just say that i LOVE my red toenails? everytime i look at my feet they cheer me up. is that why those beautiful women of the vintage era always wore red nail polish and red lipstick?

it's really the most amazing pick-me-up.

go and paint the world red.